Bush Says Democracy Spread Inevitable, Rebukes Russia

June 5 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush, calling the spread of democracy inevitable, rebuked the governments of Russia, Venezuela, Uzbekistan and other nations for lapses that he said threaten to unsettle a period of post-Cold War peace.

``Pursuing stability at the expense of liberty does not lead to peace,'' Bush said in a speech today at Czernin Palace in Prague. ``The policy of tolerating tyranny is a moral and strategic failure.''

Bush's aides billed his ``freedom agenda'' speech as the most significant of his weeklong European trip, which includes the annual summit of the leaders from the Group of Eight industrial nations. He used the backdrop of a former Soviet Bloc state to say that ``freedom can be resisted, and freedom can be delayed -- but freedom cannot be denied.''

Citing America's experiences with South Korea and Taiwan, Bush argued that it is compatible to push for democratic reforms in China and Russia while maintaining ``a friendship.''

``China's leaders believe that they can continue to open the nation's economy without also opening its political system. We disagree,'' Bush said. ``In Russia, reforms that once promised to empower citizens have been derailed, with troubling implications for democratic development,'' he said.

Bush said the U.S. intended to use its influence to prod other allies toward more open societies. He included among them Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. ``These nations have taken brave stands and strong action to confront extremists, along with some steps to expand liberty and transparency,'' Bush said. ``Yet they have a great distance still to travel.''

`Worst Dictatorships'

Bush identified Belarus, Burma, Cuba, North Korea, Sudan and Zimbabwe as ``some of the world's worst dictatorships.''

The president also directed his message at governments he said were ``unjustly'' holding dissidents. ``I call for the immediate and unconditional release of your loved ones,'' Bush said to the families of Alexander Kozulin of Belarus, Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma, Oscar Elias Biscet of Cuba, Father Nguyen Van Ly of Vietnam, and Ayman Nour of Egypt.

In his address, Bush said a global movement of ``violent Islamic extremists'' is threatening ``free people everywhere,'' and expanding freedom is ``the only realistic way to protect our people.''

Bush said that freedom is ``under assault'' in Venezuela, accusing President Hugo Chavez of resorting to ``a shallow populism to dismantle democratic institutions and tighten their grip on power.'' Chavez has refused to renew the license of Radio Caracas Television, a government critic.

Tension With Putin

Bush's remarks highlighted the increasing tension between Russia and the West over President Vladimir Putin's moves to stifle dissent and the U.S. president's plan to install a missile defense system in Eastern Europe, a dispute that is overshadowing the G-8 summit.

Putin warned that putting the anti-missile system in Europe would spark a new arms race and that Russia may retaliate by targeting Europe with its arsenal of missiles.

Earlier today, after meeting with Czech President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, Bush said he wanted to assure Putin that ``Russia is not our enemy.'' The missile defense is intended to thwart potential threats from ``a rogue regime,'' he said, inviting Russia to participate.

`Tone Things Down'

Bush's ``appeal to Putin on missile defense sounded genuine and on the mark,'' said Andrew Kuchins, director of Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and international Studies in Washington. ``I think Vladimir will tone things down at the G-8, but it does seem that whatever we say or do really sets him off now.''

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin rejects Bush's comment about the derailing of democratic reforms. ``Russia is a democratic country that shares common world and common European values,'' Agence France-Presse quoted Peskov as telling reporters before the G-8 meeting in Germany.

Bush plans to meet with Putin June 7 on the sidelines of the Heiligendamm summit, and has invited the Russian leader to the Bush family compound in Maine on July 1-2.

Bush's speech in Prague was the latest in a series of appearances around the world in which he has extolled the spread of democracy in a post-Sept. 11 world. Today's forum was organized by Jose Maria Aznar, the former prime minister of Spain, Vaclav Havel, the former Czech prime minister and Natan Sharansky, the former Soviet dissident.

Under the auspices of the Prague Security Studies Institute, a non-profit group that promotes democracy and free markets in former Soviet satellite states, Bush's audience included dissidents and democratic activists from 17 countries.

Before leaving for Germany, Bush met privately with 30 delegates to the conference, the White House said.

Bush said in his speech that he ordered Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to direct all U.S. ambassadors to meet with activists for democracy and human rights. ``People living in tyranny need to know they are not forgotten,'' Bush said.